Camera mounting head



June 22, E'A. QD|N CAMERA MOUNTING HEAD Filed Dec. 22, 1949 Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

2 Claims. 1 The invention relates generally to a mounting structure, and more particularly to a mounting head for use in supporting a camera or other objects.

The invention has among its objects the production of a mounting head which may be employed, for example, in conjunctionwith a tripod structure, or the like, for securing a camera to the tripod, which mounting head is simple in construction, attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and very efficient and durable in use.

Another object of the invention is the production of such a mounting head in which the object to be supported thereby may be readily locked in any desired relative position with respect to the head.

A further object of the invention is the production of such a head which may be provided with a threaded stem adapted to engage a co-operable fitting on the object to be supported, in which the effect of the locking torque of the threaded stem on the camera, or other object, is reduced to a minimum, thereby reducing the tendency of the camera, or other object, to rotate relative to the supporting head as the object is being rigidly clamped thereto.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a tripod structure with a camera positioned on the supporting head, portions of the head and camera being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an axial sectional view of the mounting head taken approximately on the line 2--2 of Fig. 3; and i Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

The present invention is particularly adapted for use as a means of mounting a camera, or the like, to a tripod structure, and Fig. 2 of the drawings illustrates this application of the invention, the head being disclosed in conjunction with a. tripod structure, only the upper portion of which is illustrated.

Referring to the drawings, I indicates generally a mounting head to which are secured the upper ends of legs 2a, 2b, and 2c, the latter being of any suitable construction and secured to the head by threaded studs 3 carried by the respective legs and threaded into corresponding internally threaded bores 4 in a base member 5 of the mounting head. The base member 5 is cylindrical in shape and provided with a concentric bore 6 therein, the lower end of the bore 6 terminating in a counterbore I to form an annular, internal shoulder 8 in the base member 5.

Positioned on the flat upper face 9 of the base 'member 5 is an actuating member or collar II,

cylindrical in shape and having a concentric bore I2 therein adapted to be aligned with the bore 6 in the base member 5. The upper end of the bore I2 is formed with a counterbore I3 in which is positioned a tubular sleeve I4, the latter being provided adjacent its free end with an outwardly extending, peripheral flange I5.

Positioned on the upper face I6 of the actuating member I I is a clamping disc or member I], having a boss or shoulder ll, of less diameter than that of the disc body, which bears against the face I6. The member I! is also provided with a bore I8 therein axially aligned with and slightly larger in diameter than that of the counterbore I3 in the member- I I, and a counterbore I9 of a size to receive the peripheral flange I5 of the sleeve I4, the latter being of a size to be positioned in the counterbore I3 and secured to the actuating member II by means of a press fit, or the like. The clamping disc I! is thus free to rotate relative to the clamping member II, but axial movement of the disc relative to the member I I is restricted. Positioned in the bores 6 and I2 and in the sleeve I4 is a stud member, indicated generally by the numeral 2 I, provided with a portion 22 of relatively small diameter, and a portion 23 of relatively large diameter positioned in the sleeve I4, with the diameters of the portions 22 and 23 being slightly less than the respective diameters of the bores 6 and I 2 and the internal diameter of the sleeve I4, whereby the member 2| may be snugly positioned in the sleeve I4 and bores 6 and I2, but is freely rotatable therein. Relative rotation between the stud 2| and the actuating member I I is prevented by a pin 24 positioned in a bore 25 in the member II, the pin extending upwardly into a semicylindrical groove 26 in the portion 23 of th stud, the groove 26 being complementary to the extension of the bore 25 located adjacent the bore l3, with the sleeve I4 having a notch 21' therein or a size to receive the pin 24, the latter thus 3 forming a key between the stud 2| and the member II.

The upper end of the stud 2| may be provided with any suitable means, such as the externally threaded portion 28, for engagement with a cooperating portion of the object to be mounted, and assuming the head is employed on a tripod as illustrated, the threaded portion 28 would be of a size to fit a standard, internally threaded, female connectiontt on the camera C. :The opposits end of the stud- 2| is provided with a threaded portion 8| of less "diameter than that of the portion 22 to form a shoulder 32 upon which an internally threaded lock ring 33 may beiseate'd;

The portion 22 of the stud 2| may extend downwardly into the counterbore 7 to slightly space the sleeve l4 inserted, by means of a suitabletool,

into the counterbore l3, being securely held by means of a press fit therebetween, and thereby loosely securing the disc I? to the member ll. Thestud 2 His then inserted: into the sleeve is and bore I52, with the groove 26 in alignment with the bore 25; after which the pin Ed is inserted into the bore '25, as illustrated. The base member 5 is then positioned upon theportion 22 of the stud extending from the member I I and thelockring 33 applied tothe threaded portion 3i of the. stud, the ring 33 being drawn down and tightly sealed on .theshoulder32 of the stud. To facilitate the application of the ring 33 to the stud, the ring may be provided with two or moreradial slots 35in its outer end face for engagement with a .suitable tool.

Inuse, a camera, or other object, is mounted upon the head by aligning the threaded end 28 of thestud with the cooperating-female fitting 29 on the camera, andthe member H is then'rotated in a direction to screw the portionrZB ofthe stud into the fitting 29, the camera being manual- .ly heldinthe desired position relative to the tripod structure. To facilitate themanuai grasping and rotationiof the member H, the exteriorperipheral surface of the latter is preferably provided with a corrugated or knurled: portion. 36. As the stud 2i is drawn intothe. fitting 29, the stud will move upwardly untilthe inner face 34 of the ring tt'engages the shoulder ,8, thereby restricting further axial movement of the stud relative to the base member 5, and as the bottom or other face of the camera engages the exposed face 3'! of the clamping -disc H, compression forces are applied 'to' the disc ll, actuating member II, and base-5 until the camera and the respective members are all firmly clamped together. It will be noted that as the clamping disc" ll, which .bearsagainst the camera, or other object; to be supported, is freely rotatable relative to the and the comparatively actuating member l i small area of frictional contact betweenthaboss l1 and the face i 6, relatively little lockingtorque is transmitted to the disc H and the. camera, thereby materially reducing any tendencyofthe ,camera to rotate relative to the base. member as i it is being mounted. Thus in mounting the camera, the threaded stud 28 is engaged with the fitting 29, and while the camera is manually held in the desired position relative to the base member, the locking member may be rotated to clamp the elements together in such position.

While I have illustrated the stud 2! as being provided with an externally threaded portion 28 engageable with a suitable fitting on the camera, or other object,-the portion 23 may be suitably formed to co-operate in the desired manner with other fittings, depending upon the particular application of the invention. It will be apparent from the above disclosure that I have provided a. mounting head which is relatively simple in construction, attractive in appearance, and very efiicient inoperation.

Having thus described my invention, it is 0b- 7 vious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence, I donot wish-to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement, and combination'of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

In a mounting head for a camera, or the like, a cylindrically-shaped base member having an axial bore therein, a cylindrieally-shaped actuating member having an axial bore therein rotatably mounted on said base member, a stud positioned in said bores and axially movable relative to said actuating member, the latter and said stud each having a keyway therein, a pin positioned in said keyways for preventing relative rotation between said stud and actuating member, a clamping disc positioned adjacent'said actuating member and freely rotatable relative to the latter and saidstud, a sleeve carried by said actuating member and extending through said clamping member, means .on said sleeve engageable with said clamping member for limiting relative axial movement therebetween, said stud projecting beyond said clampingmember, with the adjacent end thereof provided with threads adapted to engageco-opcrating threads on an object to be mounted on the. head, anda locking member carried by said stud and engageable withsaid base member for limiting axial movement therebetween.

2. In amounting head for a camera, or the like,.a cylindrically-shaped base member having an axial bore thereinand a counterbore. therein adjacent its lower end face, a cylindricallyshaped actuating member having an axial bore therein rotatably. mounted on the upper face of said base. member, said. actuating member having a counterbore therein adjacent the upper face thereof, a sleeve positionedinthe counterbore of said actuating member and extending outwardly therefrom, a clamping positioned adjacent said =actuating member, said clamping disc having an axial bore therein through which said sleeve extendspsaid sleeve having .an 'external shoulder thereon engageable with said clampingmember for limiting relative axialmovement therebetween, but permitting rotation-of said disc relative tothe'sleeve, a stud positioned in saidbores and: sleeve and axially movable-relative to said actuating member, 'said stud having a shoulder engageable with the shoulderformed by the counterbore in said actuating member, the latterand said stud each having'a keyway there- ,in, apin positioned in said keyways-for prevent- 5 ing relative rotation between said stud and actu- References Cited in the file of this patent ating member, said etud projecting beyond said UNITED STATES PATENTS clampmg member, wlth the adJacent end thereof provided with external threads adapted to eni -2? gf' r ha e c0 peratlngmternal threads on an obJect to 1,534,407 Mitchell Apr. 21 1925 be mounted on the head, and a loeking member threaded on said stud and engageable with the gggg 2 92 1 shoulder formed by the counterbore in said base g 1 man 9 2 member for limiting axial movement therebe- 0 C 10k 1951 tween. 10 

